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½ of an avocado 2 gold or green kiwifruits 1 medium tomato 2 tablespoon sliced green onion tops ¼ teaspoon finely shredded lime peel 1 tablespoon lime juice

Varieties of Coleus Krakatoa Coleus (Solenostemon ‘Krakatoa’) has mahogany-purple leaves. The toothed margins are sometimes tipped in olive green, especially in dense shade. It is a large coleus, growing 3 feet tall. Lava Flow Coleus (Solenostemon ‘Lava Flow’) is deep purple with fiery-red and black overtones. If grown as an indoor plant, it may develop a black medallion in the center of its leaves during winter. LifeLime Coleus (Solenostemon ‘LifeLime’) lights up the shade with its scalloped chartreuse foliage....

Spice Substitutes When changing up spices and herbs, start with half the amount the recipe calls for (unless directed otherwise), and add it until it suits your taste. So if you’re looking for a quick cinnamon substitute, you should only use ½ tsp. of allspice or nutmeg instead of 1 tsp. to start since they are stronger in flavor. Allspice: ground cinnamon, dash ground nutmeg, or dash ground cloves Anise seed: fennel seed or a few drops anise extract Apple pie spice: Get our tips on what’s in apple pie spice and how to make it....

1 tablespoon powdered sugar ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg or a dash ground nutmeg Dash ground cinnamon Nut Pastry Shell 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour ¼ cup pecans, finely ground ½ teaspoon salt ¼ cup shortening ¼ cup butter, cut up ¼ cup ice water

3 cup pear nectar 2 3-inch cinnamon sticks 2 1/2-inch-thick slices fresh ginger 6 whole allspice ½ cup cherry or apricot preserves 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar ¼ teaspoon salt

Because it thrives in cool weather and declines in summer heat, get a jump start on the season by planting spinach seeds first thing in spring, even before your area’s last expected frost date. Then maximize your space by succession planting: after harvest, remove your spinach plants and replace them with your favorite heat-loving summer crops. Spinach Care Must-Knows For optimum harvests, plant spinach in a sunny spot that gets half-day or all-day sun, and moist but well-drained soil that’s rich in organic matter....

2 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 8 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 1 large egg, lightly beaten ¼ cup cold water

Spring Starflower Companion Plants Cyclamineus Daffodil Yellow daffodils are especially striking when paired with violet-blue spring starflowers. Choose a naturalizing variety. Grape Hyacinth Grape hyacinth’s flower spikes are especially striking paired with star-shape spring starflower. Purple Coneflower Continue the color show in summer by planting spring starflower alongside prairie natives, such as purple coneflower.

You can shop this gorgeous peony variety as a cut flower at a handful of retailers. For example, the Fresh Market, a specialty food retailer, occasionally offers three-stem bunches of ‘Command Performance’ peonies, running for as long as supplies last. This limited stock is imported from France, but you can also grow your own plants right in your garden. Retailers such as The Home Depot, Walmart, and Target all offer the ‘Command Performance’ peonies for about $25....

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate 2 tablespoon butter 2 tablespoon milk 1 cup sifted powdered sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla Milk Chocolate Drizzle ½ ounce milk chocolate 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon milk ½ cup sifted powdered sugar ¼ teaspoon vanilla

‘Hummingbird’ summersweet (Clethra alnifolia ‘Hummingbird’) Sweet is right—in late summer, this shrub will be covered in sweetly fragrant white flowers that attract butterflies. The blossoms look all the more beautiful thanks to a backdrop of glossy, deep green foliage. ‘Hummingbird’ was selected as an award winner because of its compact habit, growing just 2-4 feet tall and a little wider. It is small enough for foundation plantings and looks terrific in groups....

We recommend the Warmly Yours Infinity 10-Bar Towel Warmer as our top overall pick for the best towel warmer because it can be easily installed by a homeowner and plugged into a standard 120-volt outlet. It’s ready to use immediately. Or you can opt to have it hardwire connected by a professional electrician for a built-in look. It’s also moderately priced. We found some inexpensive towel warmers for less than $100 and high-end models that run into the thousands of dollars....